Daisey and Dolley's Bed bug Diaries

Delmarva's Own, Daisey and  Dolley have been working together sniffing out bed bugs as a team since September 2011.

These are a few of the actual encounters with bed bugs as relayed by Daisey and Dolley through their handler, owner and as far as Daisey and Dolley are concerned, their Mommy, Sandy “Ladybug”, Honess.

But first I would like to share a little background history of Daisey and Dolley and how they came to be an important part of the Ladybug Team.

Daisey - From a rescue, to a graduate, to a certified bed bug detection beagle, Daisey has found a new career, a new home and a new family at Ladybug Pest Mgmt.

Daisey is our veteran sniffer. She was a rescue and our pet for a short while before being sent off to bed bug boot camp for her training. She was trained by Master trainer, Blaine Lessard of American Canine Scent Detection in lower Maryland.

Her trainer advised that she was one of his brightest students and graduated with high marks.

Once back at the Ladybug home base, she continued her daily training and started to work in the field.

Daisey has a personality like no other beagle we have ever encountered. Of course she is cute. She bears the markings of a typical tri-color beagle. We believe her to be approximately 4 years old. She is very friendly and if not working loves to socialize and will actually hold your hands with her two paws.

To watch Daisey perform an inspection one might wonder about her scenting technique. Unlike the frantic nose to the ground scenting of the beagle-hound breed we see on videos and TV, Daisey is very calm, focused and almost caviler in her inspection scenting protocol. However, her handler, Frank, knows her behavior, when she is scenting, and when she is not. There is a bond that is developed by the hours and hours of daily training and field work that Daisey and Frank have developed. Daisey knows when it is time to go to work and she looks forward to it and pleasing her handler, Frank. I also believe Daisey thinks that Frank is her Daddy too.

Once the bed bug scent hits Daisey's nose, her alert is to sit and not move. If there were any question of a false alert (trying to fake out her handler) she would easily get up from her seated position once Frank pulled easily on her lead. A true alert will find Daisey seated firmly and she will not budge until she receives her pay and/or food reward. Once Frank has confirmed her alert at a targeted area, he will ask Daisey to "show him the bug". At this command she will normally point with her nose into the location of the scent from the bed bug(s) and/or viable eggs.

One of her first inspection missions was at a very proactive hotel in our area.
The general manager is very educated about bed bugs and wants to do all that he can to avoid, detect and prevent (within his power) bed bug introductions and/or infestations at his establishment.

Daisey was successful in targeting specific locations of bed bugs harboring in very hard to find areas by human inspection. Daisey's inspections and ultimate findings of bed bugs in various rooms prevented these bed bugs from establishing a larger infestation and potential bite reports from incoming guests.

Hello Dolley! - The formation of 

“Delmava's Own, Daisey and Dolley – Canine Scent Detection Beagles”

Daisey had been working for over a year prior to Dolley joining her this past fall. Once Dolley and Daisey joined their bed bug sniffing schnauzers together they truly became a Dynamic Duo. Sometimes referred to also as our "Double D's".

Moving on to our second bed bug sniffer, Hello Dolley, Goodbye Bedbugs. Dolley is a smaller tan and white beagle also called a "block head" beagle. She has somewhat of a sad sack face but is still very cute. Dolley is a very sweet but precocious 2 year old beagle with a lot of puppy attitude and behavior to boot.

Dolley and Daisey are very close and do not like to be separated for long. This works very well with our Canine Bed bug Inspections in that we always use both dogs on every job to confirm the others alerts. We call this our "two for one special" as we charge for one dog only.

One of the first inspections Daisey and Dolley performed together was at a local hotel. The conditions for inspection were not totally conducive to a thorough and accurate inspection. The inspections took place on one floor where the housekeeping staff were breaking down the rooms for pre-season general heavy cleaning purposes. Daisey and Dolley had to focus beyond the cleaning staff on the floor, loud noises of moving things within the room and air flow throughout. However, D and D did not disappoint. In one room, Daisey alerted in front of a dresser against a wall. Upon command to "show me the bug" , she kept pointing with her nose to the drawers of the dresser. After Daisey's alert, we brought Dolley in to inspect. Dolley also alerted in the same spot at the dresser that Daisey alerted and pointed to. We were also very happy that the General Manager was able to witness their alerts.

Upon examination of the dresser by pulling out each drawer and looking very closely with a flashlight and magnifier, two live adult bed bugs were found tucked away under the metal track on the side of one drawer. What an amazing find.

Many times D and D have alerted at the side of a bed and bed bugs are found in the brown metal bed frames. Bed bugs in bed frames are impossible to see by housekeeping staff when cleaning the room after a guest checks out.

D and D have found bed bugs in the following hideouts: pull out sofa beds, dresser drawer metal tracks, underneath night stands and on the carpet, behind carpet baseboard bumpers, in/under torn wallpaper, behind headboards, and box spring corners. Bed bugs are not always confined to the mattress and box spring.

More recently D and D have been performing "spot on" often at 100% accuracy in their alerts and thereafter visual confirmation of bed bugs being present at the alerted locations.

Daisey and Dolley really blew us away with a finding on two separate occasions in empty apartments. Case in point: One very proactive Apartment Complex has D and D come in after a tenant moves out, while the apartment is empty to “certify” bed bug alert free status. We then issue a Certificate of Inspection to them which documents the findings of the canine inspection as well as our visual findings as a Pest Management Professional specializing in bed bugs.

Daisey first alerted to the bedroom far wall area, somewhat near a receptacle outlet, but sitting/alerting and pointing more towards the carpet. Dolley followed suit and had the same alert at the same spot. Such strong alerts and on more than one run of the room have to be considered suspicion of bed bugs. As we are also called on by this particular property management company to investigate further and to service should activity be found, we came back a few days later to investigate. We pulled back the 1/2” carpet approximately 6 – 12 inches from the wall and could not find anything. We then pulled back the 1/2” padding which revealed the sub-floor. BAM. 2 live and crawling bed bugs were there. GREAT FIND BY DAISEY and DOLLEY.

Locating bed bugs never gets old for this Ladybug Team and it still amazes us when Daisey and Dolley are “spot on” with their findings. They truly are the Stars of Ladybug Pest Management. They deserve top billing and they will always have it with us!

By:  Sandy Honess


TESTIMONIAL FROM A HAPPY CANINE SCENT CUSTOMER:

Thanks Daisey and Dolley – Scent Dogs for Bed bugs! 

I deeply appreciate the job that you and your K-9's, Daisey and Dolley do…. you and D and D were here for nearly an hour if not longer. The entire time that you were here D and D continued to scent. You and your team work very hard to find what is harboring.

I must express my appreciation for the job that you and Daisey and Dolley do. While you are working your training becomes evident. I certainly hope that you receive the recognition and compensation for the job that you do. You deserve it. Deepest Appreciation for the work performed at my home to locate bed bugs. 

A”grateful” customer in Maryland

Ladybug Pest Management on Delmarva Life!

Ladybug Pest Management had the exciting opportunity of having a segment show on the new "Delmarva Life" talk show hosted by WBOC.  Bed bug dogs Daisey & Dolley were featured & Frank & Sandy Honess were interviewed about the threat of bed bugs in our community -- even on Delmarva.  Check out the segment that was aired below:

Certified in Bed Bug Basics!

Recently, Sandy Honess was given a certificate of completion from the National Pest Management Association for completing the "Bed Bug Basics" online course! Here is her certificate:

When you call Ladybug Pest Management to come & take care of your pest problems, you can trust their KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE in treating for pests in your home or business! Call them today!!

Where can I find bed bugs?!

Just found this really helpful diagram of the most common places for bed bugs to reside.  Check it out, download it, print, it, & keep this close for future reference.

Bed Bug Detection, Prevention, & Elimination

Bed Bug Nightmare
Sandy is holding a great resource: "The Bed Bug Combat Manual", by Paul J. Bello

Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite. What is considered a playful nursery rhyme to most of us has become a nightmare for many others.

In less than a year of Ladybug Pest Management’s startup we have investigated at least four large infestations of bed bugs in single family homes in Sussex County, Delaware and Wicomico County, Maryland. All four homeowners were on fixed incomes and/or unemployed through no fault of their own and could not afford the cost for bed bug treatment.

Luckily we were successful in helping one elderly lady resolve her bed bug infestation through an outside source of funding. Unfortunately, no other funding was available for the other homeowners.

Ladybug Pest Mgmt. and our Canine Scent Bed bug beagle, “Daisey” have been very busy with bed bug calls. Daisey, is able to sniff out hard to find bed bugs before one or two bugs become a larger infestation. We have received and serviced many other residential and commercial bed bug cases. However, this article is intended to shed light on what we believe is becoming a growing and out of control situation for many of our seniors and families living on fixed and/or lower incomes. We also want to share some low cost prevention/treatment measures and information for those who cannot afford traditional bed bug treatment services.

The four bed bug cases cited above were the result of initially one or two bed bugs brought in by relatives and/or friends coming to live and/or visit with the homeowners. Within a year, in all cases, the introduction of one or two bed bugs had grown into 100’s if not 1000’s of bed bugs resulting in large scale infestations. An introduction of bed bugs is defined as one or two adult bed bugs brought in by way of someone’s luggage, used furniture, bags and/or on the person’s clothing. An infestation is defined as the presence of all stages of the life cycle of bed bugs (i.e., eggs, nymphs and adult bed bugs).

If it has been determined that bed bugs are present in your home, or the home of someone you know, and are not in a position to afford the services of a Professional Pest Management Company, there are steps you can take to, at the very least, control, and at best, to eradicate them. You will need to be vigilant, patient and thorough.

The following are Non-Chemical procedures and tools to help prevent, monitor, detect, control, and eradicate them.

Clutter Removal: We all love our “stuff”. But too much “stuff” provides harborage places for bed bugs. Clothes need to be bagged and washed/dried and then sealed in containers or clean bags until bed bugs have been eradicated. Items underneath the bed need to be cleared out. Preparation sheets are available online for specifics before you begin treatment. You may also contact Ladybug and we will be happy to send you a preparation checklist.

Bed Bug Detection: It is important to detect a bed bug infestation before it becomes a much larger problem and difficult to control. ClimbUp Interceptors can be purchased for approx. $20.00. These saucer shaped devices are placed under bed frame legs/wheels and can assess bugs coming from either the bed or the outside perimeter of the room.

Vacuuming: Vacuuming does not control bed bugs, however, with large infestations, not only are there live bed bugs, but also bed bug debris (dead bed bugs, molted exoskeletons/casings and hatched egg shells. Vacuuming makes it much easier to determine what is alive from what is dead. Always make sure vacuum bags are double bagged and disposed of outside.

Steam: Bed bugs and their eggs die from extreme temperatures (114 – 115 degrees F). Placing clothes in a hot dryer will kill bed bugs and their eggs. A steamer can also be used to kill both adult bed bugs and their eggs. The steamer head needs to be large enough so as not to blow bed bugs and the eggs across the room. It is a slow process. Moving steamer wand approximately 12 inches in 30 second increments.

Diatomaceous Earth: Diatomaceous Earth (“DE” - Food Grade) poses no harm to the environment, pets or people. “DE” is the fossilized remains of microscopic shells created by one celled plants that are called diatoms. The particles attach themselves to the bed bugs body and physically "scratch them to death!" Because DE kills them mechanically, they cannot become immune to it like they do with so many of the chemicals today. Because it's a mineral, once you put it down it stays there and keeps working. You may sweep it up once in a while as you get rid of the dead Bed Bugs, but Diatomaceous Earth effectiveness for Bed Bugs has no expiration date. You can use a powder puffer to spread it around. Make sure you purchase “Food Grade”. As other forms of DE can be very harmful.

Mattress Encasements: Many hotels have encased all of their mattresses and box springs with “Bed Bug Proof” encasements. If you have an issue with bed bugs, it would be prudent to encase your mattress and box spring. Make sure they are certified “bed bug proof” before purchasing. Any bed bugs that may be in the mattress or box spring will not be able to penetrate the encasement and will die. Also, once the mattress and box spring are encased, bed bugs will be easier to visually detect. If you can afford only one encasement at a time, place that encasement on the box spring.

Ladybug Pest Management of Delmar, DE is offering free educational workshops to local community establishments (nursing homes, apartment communities, hotel housekeeping & staff, college resident life (dormitories), staffing and students, etc…)

It is our belief that all stakeholders (consumers, tenants, guests, landlords, property managers, owners, students, etc.) need to be as educated and well informed as possible about the growing problem with bed bugs, prevention, detection, control and elimination.

Sandy “Ladybug” Honess (6/23/11)
Owner – Ladybug Pest Management, Inc.

Ladybug recommends the following websites for information and photographs on bed bugs or call us and we will mail a brochure to you:

www.pestworld.org & www.allthingsbedbugs.com
www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/hsp/hhinsidepests.html

Another great resource is: The Bed Bug Combat Manual, by Paul J. Bello.

Reference: Non-Chemical Bed bug Management, by Dini M. Miller, Ph.D, Dept. of Entomology, VA Tech.

Bed bug bites Sussex County Delaware

DELMARVA'S OWN, DAISEY, IS HOT ON A SEARCH OF BED BUGS IN A HOTEL ROOM. GO TO www.allthingsbedbugs.com for the National Pest Management Association's Consumer Information website.

Hotel bedbug problem spreads across U.S.

The next time you check into a hotel, you might want to keep an eye out for tiny, oval-shaped parasites.

Bedbug infestations continue to grow and have now spread across the country, according to a new survey by the University of Kentucky and the National Pest Management Association., a trade group for the pest control industry.

Media reports of hotel bedbug problems first surfaced on the East Coast several years ago, but such stories have since become common in other parts of the country. Experts have offered a range of theories for the growing problem, including the pests’ increased resistance to pesticides and the growth in foreign travel.

“This pest shows no signs of retreating,” said Missy Henriksen, a spokeswoman for the trade group. “In many cases, professionals who have reported treating certain types of businesses and commercial facilities have seen double-digit growth.”

That is particularly true with hotels. This year, 80 percent of pest control companies surveyed said they treated hotels for bedbugs. That’s up from 67 percent last year, according to the survey.

Reports of bedbug problems are also on the rise in college dorms, nursing homes, schools, day-care centers and in taxis, buses and trains.

-- From wire reports

Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2011/09/10/3416756/travel-briefs.html#ixzz1Xi2bnVHb

Canine Scent Detection Program

Dog Names: Daisey and Dolley

Breed: Beagle
Training: American Canine Scent Detection, Welcome, Maryland
Certification: Third Party Testing, LaPlata, Maryland
Trained Scent: Bed Bugs (Cimex Lectularius)
Handler: Frank C. Honess, III, (302) 846-2295; (443) 359-1196

Facts about Canine Scent Detection:

• 97% accuracy
• Canine scent detection is 10,000 times more receptive than humans.
• Daisey can differentiate between live and dead activity.
• Quick inspection without disturbing room or guests.
• Creates opportunity for economical preventative maintenance program.
• Can help to reduce treatments, liability, claims and lawsuits.

Room preparation is simple – pick up all food, including pet food. Pets must be removed or crated. Empty trash.

“A PRO-ACTIVE SOLUTION FOR DETECTION & INSPECTION”

Canine Certifications: 2014-2015

Daisey & Dolley - Bed Bug Scent Detection Dogs!

Frank Honess, III and DAISEY (on left), from a rescue, to a student, to a graduate, to a Certified Canine Scent Detection Beagle. Daisey has found a new career and a new home!!

Frank Honess, IV and Dolley (on right), Hello Dolley, Good-bye Bed bugs. Dolley will be graduating by summer's end and ready to join Daisey hunting down bed bugs!

Daisey, our Bed Bug Detection Dog is ready to work & serve our community by hunting down those nasty bed bugs! New sister Dolley will be joining her after training at American Canine Scent Detection.

Daisey is certified 2 times per year at Third Party Testing, in LaPlata, Maryland.

Daisey in the Daily Times (Salisbury, MD)

Recently, "Daisey" the bedbug detection dog was featured in Salisbury's Daily Times newspaper. Here's a snippet of the article: (NOTE: Daisey has completed 600 hours of training and continues training daily, incorrect statement of "600 hours in 6 week period." appeared in below article. Sorry for any misinformation)

DELMAR --Daisey Honess has landed a job. It's not the typical gig, but then, Daisey isn't the likeliest employee a client would expect to come calling -- or rather, barking. Daisey is a certified cimicidae detector, often pulling the night shift when her targets are most likely to surface. She also is a 2-year-old beagle, a scent hound at Ladybug Pest Management Inc. of Delmar and the only dog known on Maryland's Eastern Shore certified to sniff out bed bugs. And since the small parasitic insect is on the rise in the United States and abroad -- sucking human blood in poor, tenant communities and upscale, homeowner subdivisions, in budget motels where guests might stay a hour and luxury accommodations for the sophisticated traveler as the Waldorf Astoria -- hiring Daisey made good business sense.

If you'd like to read the rest of the article, please click here.

Daisey, The Bed Bug Detection Dog, Ladybug's newest employee!!

Why Use a Bed Bug Dog?

Less Expensive. Bed bug detection dogs generate quicker and more accurate results, which leads to lower remediation costs for business owners and homeowners. For hotels, schools, apartments, offices, dormitories, etc…, cost savings can be quite substantial.

Cutting-Edge Technology. The “Nose” is cutting-edge technology and the latest trend in the home/business inspection industry. It’s the only inspection tool than can detect and pinpoint sources of bed bugs – critical information for lowering costs.

Proven and Trusted. “Man’s best friend” has been used for years by military and law enforcement agencies to detect bombs and drugs, among other things.

Studies have proven that dogs can separate scents by parts per trillion.

Dogs are Honest. Dogs are trained to work for food and love…. and NOT for profits.

Greater Peace of Mind. Research supports that if the dog finds bed bugs, there’s a high statistical probability you should investigate further. If the dog doesn’t find bed bugs, you can know with greater certainty that your hotel, home or business is safe from bed bugs.

Hard Workers. In Germany, government authorities have found that a typical office building search of approximately 200 rooms can take one dog eight hours to complete.

Effective Problem Solvers. For REALTORS concerned about escrow timelines, Bed bug Dogs can quickly and more accurately inspect a home, which gives both parties the feedback they need to quickly and effectively resolve issues.

Why Use a Ladybug Pest Management Dog and Handler Team?

Ladybug dogs have completed hundreds of hours of initial training plus ongoing training on a weekly basis.

Ladybug Dog and Handler teams are tested for accuracy quarterly by a Third Party Testing.

Ladybug Dog and Handler teams work together exclusively; we never use part time handlers or technicians to handle our scent dogs.

Ladybug Pest Management is a company with substantial experience in pest control and exceptional relational customer service with a reputation for outstanding problem solving results.

“Don’t get bugged, call…. Ladybug Pest Management, Inc.”

(302) 846-2295